Lies and other dumb moves
by WIWJ
Summary: Post-ep spoiler based slightly cannonish fluff.. I think I've used all the FF terms I know now.
1. Chapter 1

No plot here, just whumpage. Lack of Fiona in the spoiler screen caps made me start to think. She must be pissed off at him.. and after the unconscious Michael on a vent hospital spoiler I can only imagine why.. then USA sent out a spoiler with Fi and Michael which I hope is a fake because it was _**so**_ stupid.. so I'm already disappointed.. I hope I'm wrong, but just in case I wrote this for my pleasure.. cause I miss 'leave it all behind and love me' Fiona.. So.. um.. spoilers..

…...

When he's lying there on the floor he realizes for the first time that he actually did lie to Fiona. He had convinced himself earlier that he hadn't. Convinced himself that he **was **actually fine, therefor when he gripped her slim shoulder with his one good hand and assured her that he was, he wasn't lying. Only he _had_ known. I mean come on... Even the master of disguise could not convince himself that seventy two hours after walking out of ICU, he was fine.

No wonder she was mad at him. No wonder she always seemed to be mad at him these days. He was always doing this. You'd have thought a little friendly fire through the chest would have opened his eyes. You'd have thought the look of utter devastation on Fiona's face when they found him bleeding on the side of the road, or the massive exhaustion that clung to her nearly gaunt features when he woke up in the ICU would have made him open his eyes.

At least it would have made him consider what she had been trying to make him realize for the last four God Damned years. There is life after the burn. There is a future.

They had a nice little life. He, Fiona, Sam and his mom were a family of their own accord. The jobs weren't bad. They paid the bills, the kept his skills sharp, they allowed him to help people. Real people, on a personal level. Okay so it wasn't preventing the launch of little battles between bickering idiots who didn't care if their spat cost hundreds of civilian lives. But it was something. It paid for the yogurt, kept his Mom in her house and kept gas in the Charger. It bought Fiona what ever pair of shiny red shoes or shiny silver hand gun had caught her eye. It kept Sam nose deep in barley and hops.

The last thing he thought about before loosing consciousness _again_ was the tight almost painful way Fiona had pressed her lips together when he had struggled into his jacket and started towards the door.

'Fine I'll go alone then.' He'd muttered after her refusal.

'Mikey come on!' Sam had yelled looking to Fi for permission.

'GO!' She'd shouted tossing her hands up in the air and turning into the hallway. She hadn't moved fast enough, he'd caught sight of her glassy red rimmed eyes and the way her breath hitched as her slender fingers pressed against the wall.

'Oh Honey.' His mother had whispered softly as she moved towards the other woman opening her arms. 'Fiona..'

'I can't do this!' She'd whispered, through painfully evident tears. 'I just can't keep doing this.'

He'd thought about going back, as his mother yelled his name.

'This is a bad idea Mike.' Sam had reminded him as he stubbornly charged out of the house

'He's going to get himself killed.' His girlfriend had continued to sob as the door swung shut behind them.

She was right. All of it. She was right. And if he lived through this, if he made it to the moment when his consciousness to would start to return and her fingers would be curled around his own, he would try and remember to tell her.

…...


	2. Chapter 2

**SPOILER BASED STORY be warned.**

**AN**.. wow. Okay so I did come to love the new ep. but it wasn't what I had fantasied about for the last few months. SO I decided to continue this. I'm going to call it 'loose spoiler canon' cause it could have happened in the ep. it just didn't.

I'm gonna be pulling spoilers and rumors from different sources, but I'm not going to tell anyone what I hear and embellish and what I just make up. So..

Some stuff will relate to the eps. some won't. ie.. Fiona's new house just went boom.. so in my world she's going to move into the garage with Michael. The actual boom won't be in my story.. but we know it happens right? The moving in together probably won't happen, but here it will.

It may be confusing.. but try to just go with it. all in all it's a shippery story where EVERYONE.. (except maybe Jesse) wants Mike to hang up his spy hopes and enjoy the life they have..

* * *

Fiona cringed along with him as Sam helped pull him out of the Charger by his one good arm. She bit her lip and attempted to steel her expression into one of indifference.

His empty eyes fell into hers and she swallowed back the urge to rush to his side.

"Well. I was going to ask how it went but I think I can figure it out." She hummed. Micheal's eyes rolled back against his dusky face and Fi couldn't tell if he was doing it intentionally or in an attempt not to pass out. Her arm involuntarily jetted out and grasped his good arm. "What have you done to yourself now?"

"I'm okay." He muttered, letting his arm snake up hers until he could physically lean on her.

"Of course you are." She sighed, wrapping her arm around his waist. "Lets get you inside."

"He lost consciousness." Sam reported dutifully, jogging ahead to open the door for them.

"I'm fine Sam." Michael shot back groggily.

"Uh huh. Sure." His friend muttered. "We better not let your Mom see you like this." He locked the door between the garage and the kitchen.

Michael groaned as Fiona helped lower him down to the bed. She pressed her palm against his chest firmly as his eyes squeezed shut and waited for him to remember to take slow breaths.

"Did you pull out your stitches?" She asked calmly looking over his head.

"I don't know." He sighed. "It's bleeding a little."

"I'll get the kit." Sam sighed walking back towards the Charger. Michael tried not to gasp as Fiona pulled his shirt and bandage away from his chest. She grit her teeth.

"Jesus." She sighed. Michael stole a glimpse of her face before looking back towards the door.

"I'm sorry Fi." He whispered, cupping his good hand around her elbow. She bit her lip before slowly pulling his chin back to face her.

"Never mind." She whispered, running her fingers across his mouth. He pursed his lips against the pad of her thumb. "How did it go with our new bomber friend?"

"The guys a psychopath, Fi." He mumbled, watching her wet a gauze pad with disinfectant and carefully clean around the edges of the split stitches. "But it got me an in."

"An in?" Sam almost yelled, his large frame stomping back in and handing Fiona the suture kit. "If a guy saying he'll kill you if he ever see's you again is _an in_."

"Sam.." Michael sighed, grunting in pain as Fi pulled a few pieces of broken stitches away.

"Hold still you big baby." She said soothingly, pressing her free hand harder against the unbattered side of his chest.

"I don't know why you just didn't get out of there when I said to." Sam muttered. Fiona watched his eyes shift from side to side as the tight hold he had on her elbow lossened just a little.

"I went in another direction." He gritted his teeth.

"Judging by the need for my suture kit, it was the wrong direction." Sam snorted.

"Yeah well. We need to regroup and figure out away to get back in there." Westen grunted.

"Michael!" Fiona yelped, yanking the thread back from his irritated skin.

"Ah! Fi!" He groaned moving forward.

"Stop moving!" She shot back. "You can't go back in there."

"Then what's my other choice, Fi?" His eyes were almost pleading when their gazes locked. The silent standoff began.

"Well that's my cue." Sam muttered absently, swinging his legs over the side and starting towards the door. "Call me when we have a plan. "

Fiona waited for the door to shut, before breaking eye contact and finishing repairing his stitches.

"You didn't get out before because you couldn't, could you?" She whispered, securing a new bandage. He raised his eyebrows at her for a second before looking away again. "You can't do this."

"I don't have a choice, Fi."

"Michael.." She sighed, pressing her eyes shut for a moment before fixing her gaze on the wall in front of her. He grasped her elbow again, running his hand down to hers. She tangled their fingers together tightly. "You should sit up. It hurts less when you sit up."

She buttoned his shirt back up and helped pull him to his feet and lead him to the table and sitting down across from him..

"Who locked the damn door?" Michael jumped before wincing in pain at his mothers shrill voice as she came around the side of the garage. "I couldn't get the damn thing open. You could have been dead in here and I wouldn't have been able to get to you."

Michael moaned dropping his head against the cool table top. Fiona closed her eyes in commiseration before grinning at Madelyn.

"I'm sorry. I must have locked it when he was changing. You know how shy he can be." She teased.

"But you left the side door wide open?" Maddy gave her a long look. "You two weren't messing around were you? Cause he's in no shape to-."

"Ma!" Michael yelled before moaning in pain.

"No wonder you're in pain. You're late for your medication. You were supposed to take your percocet two hours ago."

"I'm fine." Michael mumbled obstinately into the table.

"Funny I don't remember you moaning this much before you got shot." Fiona's voice sang softly.

Michael lifted his head enough to glare at her, she tried not to smile.

…...

She'd been watching him carefully, she wasn't really sure why. Maybe in an attempt to provide support, or maybe just her own need to see that he was really okay, even though she knew he wasn't. But when he looked up at her and gave her that bizarre grin of his she knew it was what she'd been looking for.

Sam was asking her what she wanted to do. She was looking at Michael, trying to almost telepathically develop a plan with him. Then her house blew up.

She heard Sam and Jesse, she watched Micheal's eyes go wide. She watched the police scatter before regrouping. She watched Michael writhe in pain as they yanked him to his feet.

"Wait." She yelled suddenly, moving towards the police officer nearest to them. "No wait! That's my boyfriend!" She didn't have to fake her shock. It was real. "Please be careful he was just in a car accident he's hurt! Please!" She moved in front of the officer before hurrying towards the two cops dragging Michael away. "Did you go in there? A strange man with a bomb climbs in our window so you go in?" She cupped her hands around his face. "Are you alright? Take these off of him right now! His clavicles broken you idiots!"

…...

He didn't realize he had faded out until the door of the Charger opened and Fiona's hand dropped onto his good shoulder.

"You ready for that percocet now, tough guy?" She asked coolly. He rolled his eyes at her before holding his breath and climbing out of the car. Her hands pressed against his chest to catch his stumble. "Or do you just want me to knock you out?" He couldn't help but grin and she couldn't stop herself from grinning back.

"I'll take the pills." He sighed, leaning into her again and letting her lead him to the garage.

"I'm going to tell Madelyn you're back safely, then we'll tackle the shower."

"My mom said no fooling around." He warned, his eyes open wide with false innocence.

"Keep it up and I'll leave you to drown." She called slipping through the door to the house, missing the adoring grin he fixed on the back of her head.

He made his way back to the table, lowering himself down with a grunt until she returned with a glass of water and a bottle of pills. He gladly took them this time, before taking her hand and letting her lead him to the bathroom.

"So Jesse." He sighed, as she sat him on the toilet and started to gather supplies.

"Yeah. He blew up my house. He owes me like.. a new everything Michael." She sniped as she undid his buttons.

"He's never going to forgive me." He sighed, wincing as she pulled his shirt slowly down his bad arm, then his good before pulling him to his feet.

"Maybe you should have asked him to help you with _this_ job." She said in all seriousness as her hand slipped down and unbuttoned his pants. "It's always works with you and me." She raised her eyebrow sliding her finger around the waistband of his under ware before snapping it sharply.

He sucked his stomach in, shooting her a look.

"I'm hurt here." He whined, cuffing his palm around the ball of her shoulder.

"He blew up my stuff Michael." She pouted, leaning against him gently.

"I'm sorry." He sighed, pressing his lips to the crown of her head.

"You will be when you're replacing all my stuff." She muttered, attempting to pull away. He kept her close. She lifted her face to his inquisitively.

"Not about that." He exhaled, pressing his chin into her forehead so he didn't have to look at her. "Not _just_ about that."

"Michael." She sighed, turning to press her ear against his heart. "I know." She pressed him back towards the shower. "Come on. You smell like my burnt stuff."

…...

The sound of his mothers knuckles on the door frame made him look up from his chair.

"I just wanted to see for myself that you made it back alright." She muttered, rubbing her hands together.

"I'm fine Mom." He told her softly, with a sweet grin.

"Really?" Her eyebrow rose knowingly.

"Really." He sighed.

"Where's Fiona?"

"In the shower." He rubbed his face.

"I see you found your chair." She said brightly gesturing to where he sat.

"Yeah."

"Sam brought it over earlier from the loft. He thought you might like to have it here."

"Good old Sam." Michael looked up at the ceiling.

"He never left you." Madelyn said softly, Micheal's eyes clicked back down to her. "He and Fiona, they never left the room." She shook her head. "Till Fiona told us both to get out. Said she needed a moment alone with you. I should have known she'd get you to wake up."

He couldn't help grinning at her thinking about Fiona's wake up call.

"You have some good friends Michael." She gave him a sharp look. "They love you. Don't forget that."

He nodded slowly, she smiled back.

"Goodnight Sweetheart.." She turned to look at Fiona. "Goodnight Honey."

"Goodnight Madelyn." Fiona whispered, before dropping her eyes to Michael. "Is she alright?"

"I think so." He smiled. "Sam brought my chair." He slapped the arm rest.

"It fits the décor." Fiona muttered, her eyes going straight to the ductaped pieces.

"I love this chair." He grumbled. She reached out her hand and he took it.

"You need to get in bed." She tugged him up and towards the bed, carefully helping him ease down. Fiona adjusted the blanket around him before looking around the garage.

"You're staying aren't you?" He suddenly looked as vulnerable as he had covered in wires and tubes just a few days before.

"Where else would I go?" She snorted. "Jesse blew up my place." She sighed, looking around again. "I'm going to do a perimeter check." She exhaled slowly, smoothing the blanket over his midsection. "I'm feeling a little antsy."

"We're safe here Fi." He gripped her arm. "You know that."

"I know. I'm just being cautious." She smiled weakly pulling away and heading out the door with her gun. He fixed his eyes on the ceiling blinking hard. His morning came back to him. The last time he'd been flat on his back fighting to stay conscious. He closed his eyes and thought about what he had wanted to tell the woman currently lurking around his mothers house with enough amo to take down a small gang. His lips twitched into a true smile.

He waited to hear the sound of the door, exhaling slowly when she secured the lock and made her way across the room. The bed dipped and he listened to her breathe before running her hand across his face, sniffing back the emotion of the day.

"Fi." He whispered softly reaching up towards her cheek.

"I thought you were asleep."

"Fiona it's okay." He told her simply, letting his palm cup her face and his fingers rub at her hair.

"I know." She sniffed again. "It's just been a long week."

"I know." He said softly, letting her easy down next to him and rest her head on his good shoulder. He cupped her head tighter against him. "I'm here."

"I know." She whispered dismissively. Michael tilted her face up to meet his, forcing his tired eyes open.

"We're all still here." He told her, before his eyes drifted shut again. "In the end that's all that matters right, Fi?"

She listens to his voice trail off as his breath evened out,

"Right Michael." She whispered, laying the palm of her hand just under the fresh bandage. "It's all that matters."


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN: Ug.. I've started and stopped this about a hundred times since last Wednesday but I couldn't make any peace till today. I love Burn Notice.. I really do. But this is starting to make me a little nuts. I'm going to roll with this Jesse/Fi/Michael thing cause it's apparently where they're going but i'm not going to make it what I think they're trying to make it. Which is formula and annoying. **_

_**Started writing this before the ep started but spoiler stories are hard to write when the spoilers are stupid. SO... I'm going to take the leap and run with the BIG spoilers. This will probably part from Cannon and go AU really quickly here.**_

* * *

The muscle.. the side kick. She has no idea. No idea. He glances back at her again, tossing her hair over her shoulder and whispering into her cell phone to Michael. He focuses on that, on the way her knuckles are white as she grips the phone, her eyes closed tightly. He imagines them in his old apartment, curled up in the bed he used to lay in and think of her. He imagines Michael laughing at his gullibility, smugly adding him into their future plans and cases. Not knowing. Not knowing that his little world is about to be turned upside down.

She looks at the phone again before she slides it back in her pocket, taking a deep breath and turning back to him with a semi-tolerant smile. He kept his face blank, she shook her head a little before making her way back towards him.

"He angry?" Jesse asked arching his eyebrows at her.

"Michael doesn't get angry." She huffed. "Why do you ask?"

"Seemed a little miffed you asked me to come along instead of him."

"He needs time to heal." She shrugged, focusing her sharp features on him. "Besides we should be fine without him on this one."

"What's that supposed to mean? This is like what a Jr. Varsity game?" Jesse bristled.

"Look, lets just do this." She huffed.

* * *

"You're moved back in?" Fiona said calmly, nodding to his suitcase and boxes. Michael looked up from his shoe and back again with a silent nod. "Madelyn was okay with that?"

"I am a grown up." He said tightly.

"What did I do?"

"Nothing."

"Michael?"

"We have to go."

"Hey." She whispered sharply putting her hand on his chest. He met her eyes for a second before looking towards the door.

"Sam and _Jesse_ are waiting." He muttered, moving her out of the way and out of the loft.

* * *

"Sam?" Maddy poked her head into the garage.

"Hey Maddy." He sighed. "I was just cleaning up what was left of Fi's chemistry project. He made a face at the stinky bottles as he dropped them into the bright red bio-hazard bag.

"Where exactly do you take that?" She wondered.

"Back of any hospital." He shrugged. "Not that big of a deal."

"Fiona left you to clean up her mess?" The woman's eyebrows rose.

"Ah..well. She and Mike had some things to take care of."

"Are they okay?" Madelyn asked Sam, pinching her smoke a little tighter. "Cause they don't seem okay."

"Well.. " Sam puffed out his cheeks. "As okay as.. they.. can.. ever be." He shrugged.

"Sam." Maddy glared at him.

"I think Fi's still upset about.. well.." He raised his hands. "Everything."

"Jesse."

"The whole thing." He tossed his hands up. "And yeah.. Jesse Porter and his incessant moans of betrayal are probably part of it."

"I'm worried."

"About Fi and Mikey? Don't be. They'll be fine."

"No. About Michael and Jesse.." She looked at her cigarette before looking back at Sam. "And Fiona and Jesse."

Sam's face froze for a second before he pursed his lips and shook his head.

"They'll be fine."

* * *

He should have known that Fiona's request for a lunch date was a trap, she'd stopped begging him for lunch dates months ago.

He had known it was a trap the second he saw his mother sitting there.

"Mom." He said warily before he noticed the thinly veiled look of guilt on Fi's face. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"Let's cut to the chase. You and Jesse are going to make up and that's the end of it." Madelyn said forcefully.

"Fi." He chimed accusingly.

"I can't say no to her Michael you know that." She huffed before moving away to get them ice tea.

"Mom I appreciate the thought but-."

"You can't steal your friend's girlfriend Michael." Maddy said quickly.

"Who's stealing-?" His voice trialed off as Fiona walked back towards them and set the drinks down before turning her gaze to the side walk where Jesse stood looking just as betrayed.

"So you're going to make friends again." Maddy muttered. Michael watched the look in Fiona's eyes as she gestured Jesse Porter towards them.

* * *

He didn't look up from the bed when she came in. He just continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Michael?" She paused, waiting for anything, sighing loudly when he said nothing. "Come on Michael you know I can't say no to her she's your mother." He grunted softly, and squinted as if the ceiling had writing that he was straining to read. "You could at least tell me why your mad."

He finally shifted his eyes to her.

"You said you weren't confused." He whispered painfully towards her. It took her a minute to retrace the conversation that they'd had less than two weeks before. When the horrified look came to her features, he realized she'd remembered.

"Is this about the job?" She whispered back almost as painfully. "You told me to ask for his help. Michael you told me to-."

"And the thing with Natalie?"

"What? The thing with-?"

"Never mind." He cupped his palms over his face and muffled his retreat.

"Great." She yelped, dropping her bag onto the floor with a thud. "This week just keeps getting better and better! You almost die, some psycho blows up practically everything I own, Natalie the vanishing thief almost escapes with some nasty bio-weapon-nearly killing Sam in the process." She stops to breath, dropping down on the other side of the bed facing away from him. "You think I'm sleeping with Jesse.." Her voice got small. "And your mom doesn't think we'll be good parents."

It takes him a minute to formulate the last part. He uncovers his face and tilts his head towards her. _Holy shit_. Is this how she tells him the birth control failed? His mind goes to the tear gas, the chemicals and violence he's exposed her two in the past 48 hours. She's silent looking at the door to the loft with a lost expression on her face.

"Fi.." His voice is gentle and worried. "Are you trying to tell me that you're-?" He can't say it. He can't bring himself to consider what it even means.

She turns to him, looking confused at the panic forming in his eyes.

"Oh Please Michael! Of course not!" She snips."We don't have enough sex to get me pregnant." He exhales slowly, rubbing his face again.

"But you want to be?"He whispered again in confusion.

"God no." She huffed. "She was right. A hamster wouldn't stand a chance with you and me." She sniffed again. "But your boyfriends mother is supposed to want you to have babies!"

He watched her drop to her side and curl into a half circle on the bed.

"I'm sorry, Fi." He said softly. She decided maybe he'd been saying that too much lately as his hand reached back and locked with hers. It wasn't like him to be so remorseful.

"For what?" She breathed.

"Your week. The almost dying. My mom. The lack of sex." He grinned a little at the last part and she couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm sorry about Jesse."

"I just need to know."

"Michael." She whispered. "I don't want to have babies with him either. I just didn't like the idea of Natalie ogling him." Fiona watched as he rolled towards her, wincing a little as his shoulder moved too quickly. She brought her hand up to rub it gently.

"My mom thinks he's trying to steal you." Michael blinked at her, still holding the same expression of neutrality she knew so well.

"Let him try." She grinned, moving her hand to his neck and finally tracing the faint scar on his forehead.

Michael leaned in and kissed her slowly. He tried not to think about Jesse Porter, part of him hoping Fiona wasn't doing the same.


	4. Chapter 4

_**I had planned to have sex in this chapter. Well I mean I'd planned to have Michael and Fi have sex in this chapter.. but there wasn't a good spot.. Even with Jesse gone! next week? Maybe? I'm gonna have to write a one shot or something. This story is going somewhere.. Crazy..**_

* * *

The dress she had on almost made him forget all about his brother's little problem.

"Hi." Her voice was as sultry as her wardrobe. She turned her head and let his eyes fully soak her in. "So Sam called. They've safely landed and are getting all ready for auction." She twirled again before leaning up against the work bench. "I'm sure you're mom's busy making meat loaf or something equally domestic for Nate. So it's just you and me."

"Fiona." He over did his admiration, but she pretend not to notice. She was not going to be deterred.

"Get dressed." She hustled him towards the suit she'd laid out for him.

"Fi." He hesitantly, cautiously put out a hand. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Get dressed." Her voice was no longer sing song.

"We can't go to dinner.." He sighed, letting his good shoulder droop to convey his disappointment. "Nate's job went bad."

"Of course it did." She said sharply. "And it'll still be bad in the morning."

"Fi.." He said remorsefully. "He's already on his way over." She set her jaw and moved away from the still hesitant hand as it reached for her.

"You just couldn't do it could you?"It was almost a whine.

"This wasn't me!" He complained. "What was I supposed to say? I can't save your friend I have a date with Fi?"

"Yes!" She snapped, rolling her eyes and dramatically shaking her head. "I knew you'd find away to ruin this. You just couldn't spend three days not worrying about anything but you and me."

"I didn't want to do this! He's in over his head."

"He's always in over his head!" She sighed, before tightening her lips and muttering. "Maybe because he can always count on you to get him out of it."

At least the sing song voice was back, he watched her dress swish as she marched back towards the counter and picked up her phone.

"I'm sorry." He called as she put up a finger.

"I'm calling Escopazzo and canceling our reservations."

"Escopazzo?" He made a face, this was worse than he thought.

"Yes, and I bet you can guess the kind of favors I had to cash in to-. Yes. I need to cancel my reservation." She glared at him before grumbling. "Family problems."

The door swung open and Michael turned his head to look at Nate.

"Wow. Like what you've done with the place." Nate muttered wandering between Fiona's mounds of shopping bags and a few scattered pieces of what was left of her belongings. Madelyn had made him cart it over here to make room for his brothers visit.

"Fiona's in the middle of a move." Michael squeezed the bridge of his nose.

"She finally moving in?" His voice brightened as he turned his gaze to her.

"Don't be ridiculous." She muttered walking past him pulling the lid off of a yogurt.

"Wow Fiona. You look-." He looked at Michael as the woman kept moving, smacking the plastic container down on a chair, sweeping his brothers suit off of his bed and moving it back towards the closet. "Am I interrupting-?"

"No!" She yelped. "No what could you possibly be interrupting?"

"Oookay.." He exhaled slowly. "I'm.. gonna get a yogurt." He shot his head towards Fi, giving his brother a gestural shrug.

Michael hung his head and retreated to his closet and a very angry Fiona.

"I'll make this up to you." He whispered, slowly dropping his hands onto her slim shoulders. "I promise you."

"Not with organic pasta." She pouted.

"I can think of something you might enjoy..." He pressed his lips to her neck as he spoke his voice becoming a mumble. ".. maybe not as much as organic pasta.."

"Are you appeasing me with promises of sex?" She asked flatly, craning her neck so he could continue.

"Is it working?" He asked, smiling against her skin.

"Maybe." She whispered.

"Hey Bro? Can I have the rest of this sandwich?" Nate called loudly, his mouth full of yogurt.

Michael dropped his head to her shoulder blades before Fi straightened up and stomped towards the kitchen.

* * *

"My mom's obsessed with this." He said softly, watching Nate get in his new El Camino.

"She worries." Fiona shrugged, unpacking the take out boxes.

"She acts like I roped him into this." He yelped, she turned her head and looked at him.

"Oh Michael," Her sing song voice was back when she reached over the table and cupped his chin in her hand. "Your Mother loves you just as much as she loves your little brother."

"She told me she'd put her cigarette out in my eye." He told her flatly, shifting his eyes to hers. She winced, before shooting him a pout. He continued to look mournful.

"She didn't mean it." She sighed, dishing his food out onto his plate.

"Sounded like she meant it." He muttered.

"You need to eat and go to bed. You're crabby." She coaxed stabbing at his plate with her fork and held it up to his mouth. He took what she offered with a sigh of his own.

"I thought we were gonna-?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Not that your pathetic whining and mommy issues don't make me hot." She started sharply, dropping back into her seat and away from him. He made a face at her as she calmly started to eat. "But it's already late and we have a big day tomorrow."

* * *

"Fi?" He called swinging the door of the loft open and making his way towards his closet.

"Yes Michael?" Her voice stopped him cold, turning towards the bed where she was wrapped loosely in a bed sheet and nothing else.

"Wow." He whispered, frozen in a crouch next to a black Kevlar bag.

"Were you going somewhere?" She hummed, stretching out slowly. "I thought maybe we'd stay in."

"Fiona.." He bit his lip and her eyes went wide.

"You have got to be kidding me!" She screached pulling the sheet up over her face.

"You're going to like this." He protested climbing onto the bed and kneeling over her.

"I don't think I am!" She shouted.

"It's a trip." He said eagerly, climbing towards her face as she pulled back the sheet.

"I'm naked."

"Oh." He shook his head slowly. "Believe me I noticed." He dropped his head and kissed her collar bone. "I am still noticing."

"Then lets forget about what ever little job-." She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Sam and Jesse need us in the Dominican." He sighed, pulling back from her mouth with a wince. "Sam has a plane for us, like now."

"A plane?" She whispered.

"And a wish list for you." He nodded.

"A weapons wish list?"

He nodded again slowly unclasping her hands from him before kissing her with all he had.

"Get dressed." He panted pulling away from her quickly before he changed his mind.

* * *

She watched the ocean ripple beneath them dreamily. It was beautiful, and it was sort of romantic. She could pretend. It had been a long time since she had a pretend date with Michael. She used to do it all the time, maybe she'd do that again now. She jumped a little in surprise when his hand slid across her knee and clasped her hand in his.

"I forgot to tell you I'm going to be an uncle." Her eyes widened and for a second she thought the headgear had misconstrued his message. She met his eyes and he nodded. "My mom told me this morning."

"She's alright with Nate having a baby, but not us." She huffed in irritation. "Nate.. is more responsible.. than us?"

He shrugged, giving her hand a squeeze.

"She made a point of telling me she knew the white picket fence thing wasn't my thing." He told her cutting off her sharp retort with a look. "But." Her eyebrow arched. "Nate doesn't seem to share her feelings."

"What?" She looked so insecure right now it actually made him grin.

"Cousins." He said softly. "He said maybe some day.. a cousin."

Her lips curved slightly into a smile, before her face went slack again.

"At least someone thinks it could somehow possible occur." She huffed. "Like peace in the middle east or Sam giving up beer."

He chuckled a little, giving her an actual smile. The one that crinkled his eyes and lit up the space around him. He leaned in and kissed her temple.

"Anythings possible Fi." She smiled back before leaning her head into his shoulder.

"You know what I'm doing Michael?"

"What's that?"

"I'm pretending you're taking me on a weekend get away." He smiled softly as she continued to chatter on about her fantasy.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Oh Burn Notice.. why do you do this to me? I hate you for 30 minutes, mistrusted you for 25 and then find myself unable to tear my eyes away from you the last five.. ps.. are Michael and Fiona ever going to touch each other again? The last time they had sex was in 'where there's smoke' that was a long time ago... just saying..**_

…_**...**_

Sam will leave no stone unturned. He will leave no man behind.

Michael wonders once again what he'd do. He wonders if he could be as unwaveringly loyal as Sam. He meant it when he told Marv about the list. He trusts his team with his life. With his secrets, but given the chance would he jump on a plain and leave them all behind?

They think he doesn't think about it, but he does. He wonders how long it would take him to forget the way Fiona looks at seven in the morning, her hair pulled back in a messy bun eating egg white omelets.

Or the weird thrill he gets from figuring out the key to one of Sam's jobs, they almost Jolly way that Sam chuckles proudly when he does.

Or the smell of his mothers house. Cigarettes and citrus and something that he can only describe as a good kind of familiar.

He wonders how many action less hours he'd spend wishing he could call Sam out for a beer. How many nights he'd wake up with Fiona's name on his lips. How many times he'd worry about his Mom and weather or not she'd gotten someone to put the hurricane shutters up before the storm blew in.

People.. Fiona at least, and probably his mother too.. thought he didn't think about stuff like that. But he did.

…...

Her heart was still beating too quickly from watching Michael nearly blown to bits. She didn't like this. Everything about this job, this day, this whole week felt wrong. Sam cursed at the road in front of them before growling in frustration.

"Sam?" She turned to look at him, his eyes forced forward watching the road.

"I think if we take the outer road we can by pass Jesse's little diversion."

"You alright?" She asked softly.

" I don't know yet." Sam sighed. The car lasped back into silence while he thought about everything that wasn't right. "How 'bout you? You freaked him out you know... with the whole character reference thing." He stole a glance at her and she smiled sadly.

"Sam.." She took a deep breath. "We've been here before, on the edge of Michael s big break. I just think I'm emotionally numb to it."

"Yeah." Sam muttered. "Damn jobs his coy mistress.."

"No." Fiona said softly after a moment to think. "Michael loves that job the same way that I lo-." She stopped herself. Sam turned his head to face her. "He's married to the job Sam." Fiona's head shook furiously. "I'm the mistress."

He opened his mouth to say something but closed it quickly.

"It took everything I had not to say 'pick me.'" She swallowed. "'Choose me! I want you to **choose** me..'"

"Us Fi." Sam reminded her softly. "He's walking out on all of us if he's walking out."

…...

"Michael?"

He hadn't expected to find her asleep in his bed. At the counter eating yogurt, perhaps even with Jesse, maybe. On his cell phone bitching about his disappearance was more probable, but when he'd seen her car he'd been pleasantly surprised. When he saw her crumpled form curled beneath the sheets his heart had stopped for a moment.

"Hi." He leaned over the bed and kissed her temple before moving back. "Did I wake you?"

"I think so." She mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "I tried to wait up."

"I took Sam for a beer after they took Pete to jail." He pulled off his still damp shirt and let it drop with a smack on the floor.

"He needed one." She sighed. "I haven't seen him that worked up in a while."

"He's a good friend." He swung the door to the fridge open and grabbed a yogurt.

"Don't you ever find it odd Sam has all these friends and buddy's that we never meet until they need help." She yawned stretching her body out. He watched his sheets ripple before she curled back up.

"How do you think he gets us all our favors?"

"Good point." She smiled. "And I guess one can't spend all day at Carlito's and drinking alone."

"Good point." He mumbled swallowing the last bit of yogurt before stepping out of his suit pants and into a fully dry pair of briefs. He started on a pair of sleep pants before she pulled back the sheets with a sudden pop.

"Don't bother." She teased, watching his eyes run up and down her lovely, naked form. "They wouldn't stay on long anyhow." He raised an eyebrow at her before pulling off the briefs and slipping into bed next to her.

"How long have you been laying here naked in my bed waiting for me?" He asked pulling her body tight against his. She squealed as his icy chest pressed against her warm torso. "You were waiting for me right?"

"Michael." She sighed almost softly.

"I might have decided to come home faster if I you'd given me the heads up." He kissed along the side of her neck as she wove her hands up his shoulders. "Is it my birthday or something?"

"I just wanted you to really understand what your choices are." She purred, slipping her hand under the comforter. He inhaled sharply when it reached it's goal. "So you can make a fully informed decision, based on what you really want." She moved her hand in slow even strokes. "What do you want right now Michael?"

He grinned at her before lowering his mouth to hers, showing her exactly what he had in mind.

…...

Sam hadn't really said anything since the funeral and Michael couldn't really think of anything to say.

That wasn't entirely true. He could have gone on about the list, the burn notice, Jesse, Marv. But somehow that seemed inappropriate.

"So.." It had been so quiet in the car he jumped when Sam's dry scratchy voice rang out. "This hand off.. with you and Jesse and Marv."

"Yeah.. "

"You're sure you don't need back up?"

"Yeah. No it's fine." Michael looked at him in surprise.

"And if you guys get back in.." He swallowed hard.

"Sam?"

"Mike, two days ago I had to go knock on a buddy's door and tell his girl he was dead." He stopped the car before turning to look at Michael head on. "Don't make me do that to Fiona."

"Sam. I'm-."

"Not only dead, but dumped in the water somewhere with no hope of her even getting a body back." He closed his eyes and Michael stopped his protest. "I don't want to ever have to do that to Fiona."

"_I'm _careful."Michael's voice was pained. Sam wondered if it was from the idea of the situation or the idea that Sam thought it could ever happen to him. He hoped it was the first one.

"I'm sure Kevin thought he was being careful too." He snapped.

"Yeah." Michael sighed.

"Now I'm not sayin' the guy was any Michael Westen. I'm just saying I bet he thought he was being careful too."

"Yeah." He said again, looking out the window at the trees moving slowly by.

…...

Somewhere a few seconds after seeing Tyler Brennen he thinks of Fiona, warm and tangled with him this morning. He thinks of Sam and the funeral. The way Marv had apologized to Jesse just before he died. He thinks about his brother and his unborn child and the way Brennen put a bullet in Nate's shoulder just for kicks. He thinks of a bomb strapped to a little boys arm and the glazed over look in Fiona's eyes when Samantha had turned up at his door. He thinks about his mom eavesdropping and himself admitting that before Fiona he didn't understand what love was. Maybe he gets it now. That she wants him to _choose her_, not be stuck with her. Maybe he almost understands. Right now he understands that Brennen will kill her, or Madelyn or Nate with out a thought. He starts to panic then, in his usual controlled Michael Westen way.

"Jesse get in the car."He yells.

"What the hell-." He looks back remorsefully at Marv, dead and bloody on the asphalt.

"Get in the CAR!"

…...


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: omg this show. It will be the death of me. I promise I _cannot_ take this... before she went back.. I honestly wanted to throw something at the tv. ****Larry may be the best bad guy ever. I love him and Mike's dynamic.. I love it.. I didn't use it here because this is pretty much a M/F fluff piece, but I will explore it in 'Extracted'  
****I did feel bad later, but when Jesse got hurt I actually moaned 'just shoot him and run!' **

…...

"Hi Honey I'm home." He sighed as he opened the door to the loft. She shook her head at him before wrapping her arms around his neck. He squeezed her for just a second before his eyes settle on the bed and the half packed duffel bags. "Come on we gotta get out of here."

They packed in relative silence. And once he realized how upsetting this actually is for her he thought about the recent talk about babies and white picket fences. He'd thought about how she pretended they were going on a trip.

She was right, they didn't talk about the future anymore. They didn't even argue about it anymore.

He watched her face as they drove. His brain rationalized that this is why he didn't want to get involved again. It started off the long list of times he told her they could never be. But he also knew that they could never_ not be_. He couldn't have made it through the past four years without Fiona. The one time she went to leave he couldn't think about anything else. He couldn't breathe. They'd been together the whole time and they both knew it.

He can lie to himself but not Fi. Fi can see through him.

"Would you have come for me?" She whispered softly, breaking him out of his inner dialogue.

"I did come for you." He shook his head in confusion.

"No." She pressed her hands against the steering wheel. "Four years ago. If some lady called from a motel and said you were my emergency contact.." His mouth slipped open and he stared at her. "Would you have come for me?"

He blinked at her, his mind searching for the answer as she pulled up to their new hide out.

"I think I have my answer." She opened the door and was halfway inside before he whispered.

"I'll always come for you."

...

_(after they break the safe at the super secret loft look a like location)_

He wasn't really sure what the dream is even about after his body jolted to consciousness, but it was obviously enough to wake Fiona, because when his eyes flipped open she was already raising her hands to his face and soothing away what ever look is there.

"Larry?" She whispered, his eyes darted away and she had her answer. "I don't like what he does to you." Fiona whispered quietly, smoothing her hands over Michael's cheeks and down his chin.

"I'm okay." He whispered pulling her hands from his face.

"Don't do that." She pleaded.

"Fi. I can't-." He took a deep breath. "I can't afford to be distracted right now."

Her touch droppped away with a thud and he missed the contact immediately.

"You're right. The night before almost certain death shouldn't be spent on futile things like emotion." She hissed slipping off the sleeping bag bed they'd been sharing. "Silly me."

"Fi." He reached for her but she yanked herself away. "Fiona.."

"I'm going to check on your mom." She called back as Michael pinched his eyes shut.

…...

(after he announces he's going out there and she calls his name..before he says that crap about her _going her own way._..whatever..)

"Michael." She shook her head. This was suicide. This was crazy, even for them. She racked her brain trying to find something some other way. She thought if he died she might not be able to take it. She thought if he died with the past few days worth of angry words between them she'd just wish she was dead.

He looked at her, with his cold protective mask already pushing her further away from him. Her eyes glaze over.

"Michael." She pled

"This is me choosing you." He whispered back. "This is what that looks like. _I'm choosing you_."

…...

"When it's time? We'll do it together."

Michael remembered the night his mother told him he'd chosen the right girl. He thought about the first time he'd met her. She was wearing a blue dress and her hair was pulled back and to one side.

"I was always so much better with explosives then you."

He laughed at the stupidity of it. He laughed to keep from sobbing. Fiona's 'would be ' life flashed before his eyes. He thought about the husband and children and the life she could have had. Maybe a nice EMT like Campbell. Maybe someone like Jesse. Instead she's there, in an abandoned pool cabana, with him, about to die.

She closed her eyes and he waited for them to reopen. He thought of Victor in the house boat and how he should have listened. If he'd have just ran, just taken her and ran things would be so different.

"This is _**me **_choosing _you_." She said softly, he weaved his fingers around hers. "This is what _that_ looks like."

He was going to tell her that he loved her because he had to. They couldn't die with out him ever manning up enough to say the words. He couldn't let her choose to die with him instead of choosing to live without him, and still not have been able to say it.

He swallowed hard and looked back at her just when the flash bangs went off. Her eyes widened in impossible hope before Sam's voice filled the air.

Fiona laughed again, pressing her forehead to him in relief. He exhaled before kissing it, then her eyes, then her lips.

..

Sam started to panic a little when no one answered For a second he thought he was too late and he was all alone.

Until he caught sight of Mike struggling to his feet before pulling Fiona up with him.

He jogged over to them as Michael boosted Fiona out the hole they'd made and into his waiting arms.

"I could kiss you." She whispered, tightening her arms around him for just a second before reaching back for Michael.

"_**I **_could kiss you." Mike snorted.

"You guys okay?" Sam quickly looked them over when Fiona's back straightened.

"Maddy and Jesse!" She breathed, pushing back from Sam and starting towards the hotel.

"Hey. Hey. Hang on. We'll get them." Sam coaxed, gripping her arm. "It's over."

"Over." She whispered looking around slowly before meeting Michael's gaze.

He smiled at her a little before plucking a piece of concrete out of her hair and cupping her face before his mother's voice calling his name breaks up the moment.

…...

**A/N: AU from here! Lol. I'm glad I never really worked the spoilers in because they were flat out wrong. OH WELL. As for 4.5... all's well that ends well? **


	7. Chapter 7

Sam opened the door to the loft slowly before exhaling and stepping in.

"Fi?"

"Yeah Sam." She whispered into the low lit room.

"Maddy sent me over to check on you." He confessed, settling in the chair closest to the bed. "She'd have come herself but we brought Jesse home this morning and she didn't want to leave him."

"How are they?" He watched her small body turn under the sheets before her eyes met his.

"Worried about you."

"I'm alright." She smiled at him.

"I think they'd like you come back to the house.." Sam knew it wasn't worth asking. She wasn't going to budge.

"I need to be here right now." She told him with uncharacteristic calmness before nodding.

"Fi. He'll be back."

Ever since Jesse had found out that Michael had been taken from the good guys Fiona's fearful worry had been replaced with a more resolute feeling of dreaded abandonment.

"Sam.."

"Jesse told you himself he'd have to be debriefed. It takes time. They're not going to let him take a break to call home." Sam crept over and sat on the edge of the bed, she stared at the ceiling.

"I need to be here right now." She said again. "Next week.." He watched her swallow before nodding. "By Wednesday I'll be back to my old self I promise. If he's not back by Friday we'll go looking for a job okay?"

Sam's hand reached out and encircled her thin ankle before nodding.

"Deal." He smiled. "But could you at least start answering your phone?" He gave her a pained look and her face softened before his became more formal. "Madelyn worries."

"_Madelyn_." She repeated, her eyes squinting as her cheeks lifted just an inch.

"Yes." He pulled his hand back before standing and marching to the door. "Cause.. you know.. I know you can take care of yourself."

"Maybe on Monday?" She decided, looking at the spot where her phone lay. He rolled his eyes at her. She'd been sick of starring at it wating for him to call. So she'd turned it off. If he wanted or needed to find her, he'd have to go bigger. "Alright I'm heading back then."

"Sam?" Her voice so soft he almost missed it.

"Fi?" He didn't turn around, just kept his hand on the door knob.

"Thank you." She looked at the ceiling.

"Take care of yourself." He reminded her sharply. "Cause Mike'll have my ass if you don't."

…...

He woke up with a start, still a bit more disoriented than he'd like to be.

"I was wondering if I was going to have to find a prince to kiss you or something. Dwarfs were showing up at the door to build a glass case." Came a voice from the other side of the room.

"Dan?" He muttered rubbing his eyes firmly.

"I just had to come see for myself if it were really true. The warrrior returns."

"When exactly did you become such a big fan of fairy tails?" The room came into focus and Michael laid eyes on his old handler for the first time in four years.

"It's a pretty happy ending don't you think?" Dan smiled, slowly shaking his head. "I just still can't believe it. Welcome back man."

Michael stood up slowly, stretching his back and wincing as he arched his still sore shoulder blade.

"How long..?" He asked, as he shook hands with his old boss.

"You've been with us ten days."

"Ten-." His eyes widened. "I have to make a-."

"Slow down." Dan grinned. "I called the family. Talked to your mom and Jesse Porter. Your lovely mother got her stitches out yesterday, small scar hidden by a lovely new hair do. Jesse's leg required two small sergical procedures. He's resting comfortably in your old bedroom. Told them you were fine and you'd be in touch soon. I tried to call Fiona but she apparently isn't taking phone calls."

"Ahh.." Michael winced. "I really should probably-." He looked at the phone on the desk with a little more longing then was probably appropriate for a covert operative.

"Michael, they've had you for four years now. Let me have you for a few more minutes. You and I will go over some things, get you reconnected and then you can head back to Miami and let your girlfriend kick your ass in person okay?"

Michael licked his lips before pulling his eyes away from the phone and nodding at Dan.

"I have to say Michael. I was always rooting for the two of you."

"Dan you told me to stay as far away from her as I could physically get." Michael laughed.

"Yeah.. that's what I had to say. What I wanted to say was-. Well.. you probably don't want to hear what I wanted to say." His old handler leered and Michael thought about how lewd his comments could be.

"Probably not."

"So anyway," Dan tapped his hand on the desk and held up the thumb drive. "Lets talk shall we?"

…...

During his four years in exile, Michael Westen could not have imagined upon his open armed reunion the only thing he would want to do was get out of there.

Dan's voice was drilling into his head, he couldn't think about anything else but Fiona's tiny body hurtling through the boarded up window.

"I've already started looking into Stekker-Eps If there is anything we can do for him and his family posthumously."

_I'm tired of you making all the decisions in this relationship! _

Michael smiled.

"This stuff about Archer is amazing." Dan hissed.

_I was always so much better with explosives than you._

She was.

"I think we'll let Vaugh share a secret prison cell with Simon. Sound like hell to you?"

_This is me choosing you. This is what that looks like._

His eyes fell on the phone again.

"Or we could ship him off to Alcatraz, I hear they have a lot of room right now."

_Your girlfriend is crazy about you, man. Take good care of her._

His girlfriend.

"Or he could just stay at your place." Dan set the file down on the table between them. "What do you think Michael?"

"Huh?" He blinked back to the man in front of him._ Oops._ Dan's eyes rolled back.

"Get out of my office." He snorted, picking up the phone and dialing one number. "Get Mr. Westen back to Miami as quickly as possible please."

"Dan.." Mike's voice sounded more than a little concerned.

"I'll call you in a few days. Go see your family." He stuck the file back in his desk and locked it. "You've gone soft."

"I havn't gone-."

"It's okay. We'll toughen you back up." Dan waved his arms in Michael's defense.

"I have not gone soft!"

"Get a really hard core assignment and drop you off with your charm and a Swiss army knife. They old Michael will be back in no time."

"I'm not soft!"

"Go see your mommy." He grinned. "And kiss your girlfriend for me." Dan puckered his lips and Michael smirked. "Next time your body's in this office, I expect it to bring your brain."

"I can still kick your ass old man."

"Probably, but just in case? Maybe your girl can give you some pointers." He snorted walking around the desk and opening his door. "I'll have someone drive you to Andrews."

…...


	8. Chapter 8

Michael Westen left the Miami airport feeling oddly empowered. It was such a strange Deja-vu climbing down the steps of the plane and onto the tarmac and into the waiting car that wisked him off to where he was going without even asking. He fingered his passport again. Feeling the bumpy cover under his thumb.

_'Oh here.'_ Dan had muttered tossing it and a few other things in a bag out of his office door. _'Call you soon.' _

He paused as the car pulled up to his mother's house, starring at it like it had been years since he'd seen it last. Maybe because it had been years since he'd seen it while not feeling slightly incomplete. Slightly off.

Only he still was slightly off wasn't he? Stuck between two worlds.

"Hey! It's 007 himself!" Came a cheery shout from the drive way. He pulled his glasses off and walked towards the sound of Jesse's voice stopping to shake the wheelchair bound man's hand.

"Brace your self Mikey it's pretty bad." Came Sam's strained voice from the other side of the garage.

"What?" The hair on the back of his neck stood up. Had something happened? His mind when to Fiona and her unanswered phone as he jogged back towards the wide part of the drive that used to flow into the garage.

"Uhg.." Michael grunted looking at the carnage. There was one of his most cherished possession, laying in a crumpled heap.

"She's in bad shape, Brother."

"I told Sam he should just put her down, but he insists he can fix it."

"Hey! We didn't put you down now did we!" Sam began with a nasty look at Jesse before glancing back at Mike who looked like he was going to be sick."I called Nate's buddy, Billy. He's going to come by tomorrow and take a look. See what kind of parts we'll need."

"Um.. a new Charger?" Jesse teased.

"Oh man, Sam." Michael put his hand on the 'hood' of his ride.

"You really did a number on her this time. It's no way to treat a lady." Sam narrowed his eyes at him, leaving him no doubt he wasn't only talking about the Charger. "I mean I know you didn't have a choice.. but just leaving her on the side of the road like that was pretty harsh."

"I got you Sam." Michael sighed, turning and looking at the house.

"You're mom's at the store. You should probably head over to the loft." Axe dug out his own keys before looking back at the car. "Try not to blow mine up."

"I'd take a gun." Jesse snorted.

"We won't wait up." Sam added, prying off a semi intact car part and setting it aside with the other semi salvageable pieces in the grass. Michael started up the driveway. " And Mike?" Westen turned slowly. "Welcome back, brother."

…...

"Sam I'm pretty sure it's not Wednesday yet." Fiona mumbled from the counter, her back to the door and her mouth full of yogurt.

"That better not be the last blueberry." He answered softly as her head whipped around. Her eyes widened and filled with tears nearly immediately as she hopped of the stool and into his embrace. He tilted her face up with both hands and pressed his lips to hers, relief turning quickly to desperation. He pulled her back towards the bed working quickly at the blouse she was wearing.

She pushed his jacket from his shoulders and undid his pants as he worked the buttons of his new suit.

"Should we talk first or something." She breathed.

"You wanna talk?" His voice was too high.

"No." She whispered shaking her head as he worked her skirt down her legs. "Just seemed like the respectable thing to do."

"Later." He rubbed his hands through her hair. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You're not?" She pulled back a little and looked at him.

"Not without you." He promised, folding both hands over her face. Her eyes closed, just like they always did, before she forced them open and into his. "Not again."

She lifted herself onto her tip toes and kissed him before he turned her and dropped them to the mattress.

…...

"That's it?"

"Yeah." He breathed, looking kind of puzzled himself.

"That's anticlimactic." She whispered.

"Never ever say that while laying naked with a man in bed." He teased, running his hand over the flat surface of her stomach. She smirked at him. "But yes. That's all he said. _Good to see you. I'll call you. Here's your identity back_."

"It's so surreal." She breathed, unconsciously brushing her fingers across his forearm.

"I held my breath when I got on the plane. I swear I was expecting to be tackled at any minute." She exhaled slowly, before meeting his concerned gaze. "What about you?"

Fiona shook her head.

"We took your mom and Jesse to the hospital. I took Madelyn home. Sam stayed." She pursed her lips together. "A few days later Jesse got the customary 'we have him we're not going to kill him' call." She looked away. "Sam brought home the _injured._ I came here. " He winced at the mention of the Charger. "Is she as bad off as I think she is? I couldn't look."

"It's ugly." He almost shivered, she pulled him closer and he lowered the arm he'd propped himself up on so he could wrap around her.

"Well, we couldn't expect to come out completely unscathed." She sighed. "I mean if it was between us or the Charger.."

"It was almost both." He reminded her.

"Almost." Fiona fought to keep her breath slow and steady.

"Fi.." His familiar tone made her burrow deeper into his arms. As if they would keep her shielded from the gravity of the conversation. He swallowed hard, gripping her slim shoulders and pulled her back enough to look at her. "We said things.."

"I was frightened Michael. I say nasty things when I'm fairly certain you're about to get yourself killed." She told him evenly.

"You were right." He raised an eyebrow.

"No I wasn't." She pressed her fingers to his lips. "Your fights are my fights. It's you and me.. for better or for worse.."

"Till death do us part.." He finished airily, his lips parted further as he moved towards her kissing her firmly.

"That's the closest I'm going to get isn't it?" She said sharply, pulling back and feigning irritation.

He nodded slowly before his lips almost curved into a grin and he shook his head just as slowly.

"What ever you want. You wanna go to Vegas tomorrow? Lets go."

"We can go places?" She breathed, smiling that spooky smile of hers. He pulled her tighter.

"Anywhere you want." He promised. "You mentioned Paris?" He raised his eyebrows. "We could go to the Caribbean. Hell if we bring enough reinforcements we could go to Belfast." She snorted, before her smile became less catlike and more child like. "Anywhere you want."

"Carlitos." Her lips split until he could see her teeth. "I want to get the boys and go to Carlitos."

He nodded, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Can my mom come? She's gonna be pretty mad if I don't get to her soon." He teased.

She laughed out loud before nodding.


	9. Chapter 9

The phone snapped both of them from a deep sleep.

He was still clearing his head and pointing his gun when Fiona hit her safety and flopped back to the mattress.

"Yours." She muttered. He rubbed his eyes, setting his 9mil on the bedside table and pulled his cell from the pocket of his pants.

"Yeah." He absently folded them, shaking out the wrinkles and smiling remembering just how they came to be in the heap.

"Was the homecoming worth it?" Dan's voice makes his heart stop for a moment, and he wasn't sure why.

"There's no place like home." He replied quickly.

"Listen I've got a job for you."

"Dan." Michael closed his eyes. "I-. We haven't really even talked about-."

"Mike come on. When you get the shit kicked out of you by a horse the first thing you need to do is get back on!" Dan exclaimed merrily.

"I'm not sure that's how that goes." He wandered out onto the balcony.

"Close enough. Listen. It's close to home. Just a little run down of some Vaughn's nearest and dearest. Loose ends on the burn notice. Sound like fun?" He had to admit that it did. "Nothing heavy or overseas until you've gotten your balance. Consider it training wheels."

"What about my team?" He whispered, glancing back at Fiona before closing the door.

"Yeah what ever. Let me know how many guys, specs.. you can have what you need." Dan sighed. "It'll be good to have resources again huh?"

"No." Michael swallowed hard, the moment of truth had arrived. "I need _my _team." He took a deep breath. "It's all or nothing. I want Sam and Jesse with me."

"That's not a prob-."

" And Fiona."

He waited in silence before Dan let out a long sigh.

"Ah Michael." Westen steeled his jaw and waited. "Do you know how many terrorist watch lists she's on? She's not even a citizen."

"About that." Michael added.

"You want me to grant her citizenship? Look Mike I know you love her and all. I get it she's sexy as hell, but she's a psychopath."

"Watch it Dan." Michael told him playfully. "You're talking about Mrs. Michael Westen."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"You married her?" It was more accusation than question. "With out asking me?"

"Yeah." Michael took a quick breath. "Sorry, family only. Lovely little ceremony at a church around the corner from my mom's. And after what I've been through in the last four years I deserve to have a little wiggle room when it comes to asking for _permission _don't you think? Yeah." He swallowed hard. "So.. my team or I get a nice little job working security like Lucy."

"Whatever. If you're so sure you can control your wife, she's in. But if she crosses the line once Michael? I'll toss you all out on your asses." Dan relented with a huff. "You're stuck with her."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." He smiled, looking back through the glass at Fiona still passed out face down on the bed.

…...

"What do you mean in?"

"I mean in."

"I don't know if you noticed Mikey, but I'm not exactly age of entry. I'm retired remember?"

"Sam you're ten years older than me. Come on! What are you gonna do? Play shuffleboard?"

"What are we talking here? Back to the days of running through mountains with people trying to kill us?"

"How's that different then running through Miami with people trying to kill us?" Fiona pipped up from her spot at the table. "You gonna sit here, eating fish taco's and drinking while Michael and I have all the fun?"

"Why is that supposed to be unappealing again?" He sighed. "I don't know, brother."

"Listen. Do this first gig with me. Tie up the loose ends of what we've been working on since I got back. Then you can decide. In or out." Michael looked at his friend carefully, Sam looked from him to Fiona before nodding and taking a long gulp of beer.

…...

"Where do I sign?" Jesse Porter was a lot easier to convince than Sam Axe.

"You're in?" Fiona's face bobbed up in surprise. Michael tried to hide his grin.

"You know what was waiting for me at the end of my rehab? Desk work. After what I've done this year you really think I want to go back to working behind a desk at CI?"

"I'm afraid until that legs back to normal you'll be pulling desk duty for us too." Sam arched an eyebrow.

"You cannot rain on this parade." Jesse told Sam with a stiff look. "Come on man! When has riding the bench in this little team ever been boring?"

Axe lifted his beer at him.

...

"What I want to know.." Jesse began as Fiona headed back to the car for her sun screen. "Is how you got the misses through."

"Told them it was a package deal. My wife, my team or I was walking away."

"Yeah?" Jesse pulled his eyes from her retreating form and turned his gaze back to Mike.

"She earned it." He swallowed against the sudden tightness of his throat. He'd been doing that a lot lately, thinking about how Fiona had stuck by him while he was in exile. Michael guessed realizing someone would choose death over loosing you makes you do that.

"That she did, Mikey." Sam sighed. "That she did."

"That I did what?" Fiona asked, settling down with her back to her husband and handing him the sunblock.

"Get lucky in the husband department of course." Michael lied somewhat clumsily before rubbing the goopy liquid into her small shoulders.

"I guess." She sighed. "If luck means having to almost get blown to bits before getting a proposal.. then yes."

Michael smirked and Jesse put his drink to his lips to keep from smiling. Sam laughed away.

"What about your mom?" Jesse said suddenly.

"My mom is.." Michael took a deep breath. "My mom is going to Nevada to spend some time with Nate and Trudy-."

"Ruth." Fiona inserted quickly.

"-Ruth. And I promised her we would all meet her their in August for the baby's baptism." Michael flashed a million dollar smile.

"The poor kid hasn't even been born yet and Maddy's already arranging it's social schedule?" Sam muttered.

"I think it's sweet. It's good practice for when Fi starts popping out little Westen's." Jesse raised his eyebrows, ignoring Fiona's death stare. This time Michael had to hide his smile.

"So anyway." Fiona redirected. "I thought Dan was calling with our new case?"

"What are we now? Charlie's Angels?" Sam grumbled.

"If so you have to be Jill because I want to be Kris." Jesse muttered tipping his beer at the older man. "Fi can be Kelly."

"I don't want to be Kelly!" Fiona moaned. "I want to be Sabrina."

"Kelly's the boss." Jesse shrugged. "I thought you'd want to be the boss. Fine. Mike can be Kelly."

"You don't want to be Kelly." Sam shook his head. "Trust me."

"I don't even want to know." Michael said slowly, widening his eyes and shaking his head. "I don't want to know."


End file.
